The Health Industry Distributors Association strongly supports bipartisan legislation to ensure critical medical supplies are expedited during emergencies.
Representatives Mike Ezell (R-MS) and John Garamendi (D-CA) introduced H.R. 6140 – the Facilitate Access to Swiftly Transport Goods during a Publicly Announced State of Emergency Situation (FAST PASS) Act. The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to initiate a study to examine efforts to expedite the movement of critical cargo across all modes of transportation during emergencies.
HIDA has championed this legislation for several years, and worked with both the legislative and executive branches to draft this bill.
The Need To Streamline The Medical Supply Chain
Throughout the pandemic, disruptive transportation delays severely limited reliable and timely movement of medical products, restricting the supply chain’s ability to support healthcare providers responding to patients with COVID-19. The medical products supply chain relies on predictable transport to communicate product availability to providers, allowing them to deliver appropriate clinical patient care. Delays have negative consequences for patients and public health.
In 2021 and 2022, transportation delays became a healthcare issue. HIDA research estimates that approximately 31,000-46,000 containers of critical medical supplies were delayed an average of 29 days throughout the transportation system.
A single shipping container holds up to:
- 3.5 million pairs of exam gloves
- 187,000 surgical gowns
- 360,000 syringes.
Delays and Bottlenecks Persist
Logistical challenges for medical supplies continue to occur. An October 2023 report by healthcare consulting firm Kaufman Hall found that, 71% of healthcare executives reported distribution delays in their supply chain. More than half (55%) of executives said they were grappling with raw product and sourcing availability.
Delays persist across all modes of transportation. Port delays on the West Coast, threatened rail strikes in the Midwest, inspection delays of trucks on the U.S.-Mexico border, and drought conditions creating delays transiting the Panama Canal.
- Supply Chain Woes Trigger Shortages Of Critical Medical Devices. CalMatters, November 22, 2021
- Vessel Delays At West Coast Ports, And Frustration At Lack of Progress in Labor Talks, Are Rising. CNBC, June 14, 2023
- Looming Railroad Strike Could Cripple U.S. Economy, Transportation. ABC News, November 30, 2022
- Mexican Goods Worth $1 Billion Stuck At US Border Amid Migration Checks. Reuters, September 26, 2023
- Backlog Of 200 Ships Stuck Trying To Enter Panama Canal Amid Slowed Traffic Due To Drought. Daily Mail, August 21, 2023
Federal Support for Fast Pass
The Department of Transportation (DOT) in its February 2022 Supply Chain Assessment of the Transportation Industrial Base recognized the need to “Develop a fast pass system to expedite global transportation of essential medical products.”